Improvement in bee-hives



E. KRETHMER.

` Bee-Hives.

N0. 138,561, Patented May 6, 1873.

AM moro -urf/osRAPH/c co. m'. (ossa/mf's mams) UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

EDWARD KRETCHMER, OF COBURG, IOWA.

IMPRovl-:MENTIN BEE-HlvEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,661, dated May 6, 1873; application filed December 30, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E. KRETGHMER, ofOoburg, in the county of Montgomery and the State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bee-Hives; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full,

2 a transverse vertical, section of my entireV bee-hive. Figs. 3 and 4 show portions of the honey-boxes, and Fig. 5 shows the feeder and ventilator. i

A represents the bottom board, B the roof, and C C the end doors forming the outer body or case of the hive. D D are the upper crossrails of the frameholder. E E- are `movable comb-frames; F F, sectional honey-boxes; G, glass-sided honey-boxes; and H, the combined bee-feeder and hive-ventilator. The frameholder is set loose inside of the case, leaving a suitable distance between it and the doors C C. This frame-holder consists of cross-rails, D, and vertical bearers, I, which rest on the bottom A. These are kept at suitable dis-v tance from each other by the piece K and metal strips a and b. On the rabbets cut in the rails D rest the comb-frames E, as shown in Fig. 1,'arranged side by side in such a manner that all the frames with the frame-holder can be lifted out of the case without disturbing the boxes; and then the frames can be taken from the frame-holder either vertical or horizontal, as circumstances may require, thus giving free access to the brood without disturbing the surplus honey-boxes even should the combs not be built true. The under side of the top bar of each comb-frame E is provided. wit-h a waxed comb guide, d. This `comb-guide is made to approach nearly the natural shape of a comb about one-half inch 4are induced not only to ,commence and continue the building of straight comb, but also to build either worker or drone comb, according to the size of cells impressed, in a more thorough manner than is usually the case. Honey-boxes are arranged at each end of the frameholder. These boxes are placed between the bearers I I, being kept at suitable distance by these pieces from the sides of the case, so as to admit `the ngers ior easy removal of the boxes, said boxes nearly touching the ends of the` frames E with no partition between the boxes and frames, thus giving the bees free access to theboxes. The metal strips b hold the boxes sufficient distance from the ends of the frames to allow a passage to the bees. One series, F, of these boxes consists of several sections, c, as shown in Fig. 4, each holding one comb, and the tops and bottoms e being made wide enough to have the several edges touch each. other, and the rear-end pieces narrow forming bee-passages between the sections. The front-end pieces t' are likewise narrow and set back about one-quarter of an inch from the ends of the top andbottom. After several sections are arranged side by side a glass, en, is placed against them, being kept a suitable distance from the pieoesc' by the projections of the top and bottom. The sides of the outside sections are closed byboards s, and the several sections, side boards, aud glass are held firmly together by strips, l, of tin folded at right angle over each corner. Thus constructed a view is obtained of both sides of every comb, a substantial box for shipping is obtained, and when the honey is used one section may be removed, the side board slipped within the tin corners against th-e next section and rea tained by simply bending the tin.

In such parts of the country where goldenrod blooms abundantly bees store a large quantity of surplus honey late in the season, but at such times they will not build comb sufciently straight to use the sectional boxes; hence a different style of box must be furnished. I prefer the box G, the sides being of glass, the top and bottom of wood held together l by pieces of tin bent at right angles around the corner. The pieces g of tin are first prop'- erly shaped and bent at right angles inthe center. When adjusted to the box the parts o each hold one side of the glass fromfalling to the center, the parts m lap over the corner of the wooden top and bottom, and the point p is driven into the wood. I also provide my hive with a bee-feeder and ventilator, H, consisting of a round cup, the disk at each end 'being set back from the edge. One disk is perforated and a metal screw-cap, S, fastened over the perforation. The screw-cap itself is perforated in such a manner that each hole forms a miniature tube, from which the food comes in separate drops. To use it the cap is unscrewed, sirup or liquid honey placed in the can, the screw readjusted, and the screw-cap placed in a hole bored through the roof-board B, the bees drawing the food from the miniature tubes of the screw-cap. As the pressure of air prevents the liquid from running the bees are directed to it by pressing on the then upper disk, whereby a portion of the food is ejected below. `It can also be used to furnish bees with water or meal. The projecting part of the sides gives the feeder a firm stand on the hive, and also receives any sirup that may run past the central hole while filling it. The opposite end of this feeder is arranged as a ventilator to be used when not used as a feeder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. A tube, his

fastened to the center of. the end disk, which tube fits closely in the hole of the roof B. On one side of this hole is cut a recess, z, communicating with a hole, y, in the side of the tube i', allowing foul and heated air to pass into the chamber m formed by the projecting sides of the cup, which are perforated, allowing foul air to pass out as indicated by the arrows. By turning the ventilator so thatthe hole y is changed from the recess z all upward communication is closed.

When it is desired to use frames only, so as to extract the honey with a honey-extractor, the boxes and frame-holder are removed and the frames hung on rabbets cut on'the upper edges of the sides of the case, holding Athus a double number of frames. Honey can thus be taken in large quantities, and when the honey season is past a division-board may be inserted, dividing the number of frames into equal halves, and a queen raised for the queenless part.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The parts S and r of the feeder and venu tilator H, in combination with the roof B or its j Witnesses I. BRETSCHMER, H. BABB. 

